Article: Another Pathogen for CFS: Giardia Outbreak Causes CFS Outbreak in Norway by Oceanblue

Article: Another Pathogen for CFS: Giardia Outbreak Causes CFS Outbreak in Norway b

You can view the page at http://forums.phoenixrising.me/content.php?551-Another-Pathogen-for-CFS-Giardia-Outbreak-Causes-CFS-Outbreak-Norway

 

Fukuda criteria used (though not brilliantly), not Oxford; the rate of chronic fatigue was much higher - over 40% after 3 years. More details in the article. The original paper was also heavily criticised by Peter White when he peer reviewed it and he was keen to discount a significant link between Giardia infection and CFS. Peter White, of course, was the Principal Investigator of the PACE trial and used its mediocre results to champion CBT.

 

Well this is embarrassing. I know I was treated for this years ago, but I thought it was only passed as an STD. [whoops, found the poll]

I wonder which caused the IBS, the Giardia or the antibiotic?

I also think the problem with some CFS studies is that they try to pinpoint one infection or another as the cause of CFS, but it is actually many chronic infections that are making us sick or the way are special needs immune system react to those infections.

 

@Joopiter76 re "I think this was a study done by proponents of CBT"
Looks like you might be right on that - this was the final sentence of the conclusion to their paper, though they cited no evidence in support of it:

There is need for the development of comprehensive rehabilitation programs.

I also think the problem with some CFS studies is that they try to pinpoint one infection or another as the cause of CFS, but it is actually many chronic infections that are making us sick or the way are special needs immune system react to those infections.

I think most of the authors involved, including those for this Giardia paper, would probably agree with you that each highligheted trigger is another trigger for CFS, rather than the sole cause.

 

Oceanblue - what about testing those people 3 years later for Giardia...wouldn't that be a good thing to do? Maybe their bodies never fought off the protozoa?

The author has confirmed that all CFS cases tested negative for Giardia.

 

Just to add my own experience into the mix: I had sudden onset of CFS approximately two weeks after completion of successive treatments for Giardia, which I acquired five months before while backpacking Asia. I was first treated for three days with Tindamax and shortly later for one week with Flagyl. Given the timing of my sudden onset, I have always felt that either Flagyl or Tindamax were at least partly responsible for the development of CFS. The Giardia, however, was successfully treated with those courses on antibiotics and has not returned. I did have continuing GI issues for approximately a year until I did an elimination diet and discovered that I had Candidiasis. Upon treatment, another elimination diet revealed intolerance to gluten. So long as I avoid wheat, I no longer have any GI issues. I should add that while addressing the Candidiasis improved my GI function, it did not improve my quality of life overall.

 

if any study is proposing "rehabilitation" everybody with CFS should be very cautious. Nobody who believes in a serious organic disease would propose "rehabilitation" programs. No one with cfs needs "rehabilitation", but treatment. From what should we be "rehabilitated"?? wrong illness beliefs or what??

 

if any study is proposing "rehabilitation" everybody with CFS should be very cautious. Nobody who believes in a serious organic disease would propose "rehabilitation" programs. No one with cfs needs "rehabilitation", but treatment. From what should we be "rehabilitated"?? wrong illness beliefs or what??

I certainly agree with you about rehabilitation, but don't think the author's views on rehabilitation undermine their findings, which should be judged on the basis of the evidence they present. And that evidence strongly suggests that Giardia can trigger CFS. The paper adds no evidence whatsoever on how best to treat the resulting CFS, it's just the authors promoting their views. That bit shouldn't really have got past past peer review, in my opinion.

@mfairma
Thanks for that; it is an interesting point that the treatment rather than the Giardia could be the link to CFS.

 

I had giardia three times. The first time was the worst because it took a few months before it was correctly identified and treated-this was back in 1975. I took Flagyl for it, which I knew was something of a dangerous drug, but it knocked out the giardia. The next two times I got it, I recognized the exact symptoms, took Flagyl again and was done. I believe my physical weakness preceded this--in fact made me much more prone to this infection and getting it really badly, while others on the same camping trip didn't get sick, and others exposed to the same contaminated water the later times either didn't get sick or were only mildly ill and threw it off. But here is what happened in my case. It really shut down the small intestine (as a severe problem with gluten also does). Stools were pale, greasy and floated. Nausea was too bad to eat and eating just produced worse nausea and cramping. I got intense pain from eating bran cereal at some point, the first time I got it. Like an appendicitis bad. I lost weight so fast and became so fatigued that after awhile all I could do was stay in bed most of the time. I even got to the point of hallucinating, which I understand people with severe celiac disease can do too. I think I could have died from this first infection, due to starvation if nothing else. So, this was on the extreme reaction end of the scale and Flagyl restored my previous level of health right away.